BEST NEW ARTIST: RAYE

Raye started making waves last summer when she was featured on tracks from Jonas Blue, Jax Jones and Charli XCX. But now a year later and she’s got a whole bunch of her own original music for us to pay attention to. We here at We Are: the Guard proudly present these songs to you so you may take the reign as the tastemakers on that Raye tip. Because you’re gonna, once you hear these tracks. That’s a guarantee. This is all we really want, isn’t it? Fully formed artists— not dime a dozen (feature) singers. This nineteen year old is signed to Polydor and bound be the next queen of R&B, if she wants. The world's her oyster with tracks like these. And let’s be honest… who doesn’t want to be the queen of R&B? Even I do on some level deep down inside.

SHH

This London Dance-Pop princess has got quite the pipes on her, doesn’t she? "Shh" is a dancehall jammer that’s sure to get anybody and everybody hype unless they’re dead inside, which many people are. Are you? 

I hope you can find the joie de vivre inside you to see the value on a song this hot.

SOBER (STRIPPED)

Got the whole range on display, Raye. This stripped down version of "Sober" (is there an unstripped version?) is the kind of emotive vocal solo performance that we can only hope for from our pop stars. No distraction from the stark piano backing, just a beautiful voice singing beautifully about something real, honest and somber (sober). Get this track in front of Adele, people. She’ll take it to the stratosphere. Nah, leave it with Raye where it belongs. She can get it there all by herself.

Curated by curator Daniel Ragnar. Quite curatorial. Daniel should be hired at a museum of music where curation can be a full time job. Maybe that’s what We Are: The Guard is? We Are: The Guard Museum, visit us on the internet.

From deep within the murky depths of the Los Angeles River emerged a creature: 50% raver, 50% comedian, 10% Robotcop. Kurt Kroeber doesn’t own a dog, operates Soundbleed (the world’s only dance party comedy talk show rave), and is down to party with you. Come up some time and say “Hey dude!” But definitely make sure to casually drop the secret Illuminati password.